


Winter's Chill

by kate882



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-04-13 15:05:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4526670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Winter Cup win, Kuroko goes to talk to Akashi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter's Chill

After the Winter Cup’s final game, more than anything, Kuroko just wanted to sleep. His team wanted to celebrate even though they were just as exhausted. He was pretty sure he saw Mitobe break out the cans of Redbull. But .... more than sleep or celebrating, there was something more important that Kuroko had to deal with.

“I’m tired. I think I’m going to go home. Perhaps we can celebrate after some rest.” Kuroko said by way of excusing himself. But instead of going home he went to the Rakuzan locker room and waited in the doorway for Akashi to notice him.

“They’ll kick you out eventually.” Kuroko ended up saying when it appeared that Akashi wasn’t going to look up from the floor.

“Kuroko. Why am I not surprised that you’re here?” Akashi replied with a bitter chuckle, finally raising his eyes to look at him.

“For the same reason that I knew you would still be here.” Kuroko took a seat next to Akashi and they stayed quiet for a while. “Playing against you takes up a lot of energy. I think I want to get something to eat. Would you like to accompany me?” Kuroko finally spoke up again.

Akashi arched an eyebrow, but slowly got to his feet and held out a hand to help Kuroko to his as well. “Alright.”

* * *

“Kuroko, when you said that you were getting food, I thought you meant real food. Not fast food. You’re also not even going to order food here. Just a vanilla milk shake. I had hoped that you’d gotten over that unhealthy habit.” Akashi looked unimpressed by Kuroko’s ability to lead them to the nearest Maji Burger.

“You’re right; I will be ordering that. I recommend a burger for you. Everyone I come here with seems to like them.” Kuroko replied, walking in without looking to make sure that Akashi was following him. And Akashi seriously considered not doing that. Because, honestly, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had fast food. Probably shortly before he read about the health problems in fast food chains to reassure himself that he wasn’t missing out on anything when his father wouldn’t let him eat somewhere so undignified.

He did follow anyway. Of course he did. What did it matter at this point? He’d already lost. It didn’t get much more undignified than that. That was the thought that passed through his head as he heaved a resigned sigh and questioned his life choices that lead him to this point, following Kuroko inside.

“Akashi-kun, what would you like?” Kuroko asked from the counter.

“I don’t particularly care. Just . . . please for the love of God order me a normal human being’s amount of food. I know what kinds of friends you bring here, and an eating contest is one competition I am willing to lose.” He said, sinking into a seat.

“One burger, a soda, and large fries.” Akashi presumed Kuroko was adding that to his own order. “And don’t you dare pull out your wallet. I invited you here.” Kuroko added over his shoulder when he noticed Akashi reaching into his sports bag.

Shortly after Kuroko came back with the food and put the tray in the center. Akashi eyed it with disdain.

“You didn’t have to come with me.” Kuroko said simply in response to the look, picking up his shake and bringing the straw to his lips.

“I didn’t want to go home.” Akashi replied, feeling his stomach churn slightly as he unwrapped the burger.

Kuroko didn’t press the topic. He also didn’t bring up the game. He simply continued to drink his milkshake until Akashi gave up on his burger half way through and gave Kuroko a cold stare. “Why are we doing this?”

“Because I knew you would be upset and I wanted to help. It’s what friends do for each other.” Kuroko said, putting the milkshake down and taking one of Akashi’s fries. At least, Akashi was pretty sure that Kuroko had ordered them for him. Akashi hadn’t touched them yet though. There were healthier ways to eat potatoes.

“Friends?” Akashi tilted his head, a sad smile gracing his face. “Is that what you would call us?”

“Yes.” Kuroko didn’t even hesitate.

“Even after all that’s happened?”

“I never stopped considering any of you my friends.” Kuroko told him.

“What if I don’t consider you _my_ friend?” Akashi asked skeptically. It had certainly been awhile since he’d considered anyone his friend and not just his pawn. In middle school those lines had blurred a little. He’d treated his friends like shogi pieces.

“Then you wouldn’t be here. You can avoid your house in other ways.” Akashi supposed that was true.

“My father won’t be happy. It’s a shame for him that I’m an only child.” Akashi’s eyes gained a malicious glint. One that reminded Kuroko that while there were two different Akashi’s, neither of them were particularly nice.  “If he disowns me, he’ll have nothing. No one to pass the company down to, and no one to blame but himself when I steal his own company from him.”

“I don’t think he’d disown you over a basketball game.” Kuroko said.

Akashi’s laugh wasn’t cheerful. “You’re right. He won’t. Because he knows he has no one to succeed him if he disowns me.” Akashi ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe it’s lucky for me that I’m an only child. It’s not the basketball game. It’s the failure.”

“If it’s really that bad, why don’t you stay at my house for a few days so that he has time to calm down and remember that he doesn’t have any other children?” Kuroko offered.

Akashi froze. “You always find ways to surprise me, Kuroko.” He whispered. “You shouldn’t even want to be eating with me. Not after what happened in middle school.”

“You knew all of that would happen, didn’t you?” Kuroko asked curiously.

“All of it? No. As much as you lot would like to say I am; I’m not all knowing.” That looked painful to say. “I didn’t know that my personalities would change. I didn’t know Kagami Taiga would join our game. I didn’t know I would care about any of you. I didn’t know that Aomine would be excused from practice. I didn’t know about your friend. The rest of it . . . yes. I knew you and Aomine would fall apart. I knew all of our strengths would become too much. I knew we would all fall apart. I knew you would all break. I hoped I wouldn’t, but again, I wasn’t expecting to care about any of you.” Akashi was leaning back in his seat and talking casually as if they were discussing something as trivial as the weather.

Kuroko had suspected as much, and he was sure he knew the answer to his next question. “If you knew all of that, why did you still let it happen?”

“You know why.”

“Humor me.”

Akashi sighed, but answered. “Because I needed to know who was the best. I needed us to make it to this point. I needed all of us in a tournament against each other. I needed to see who would win. Had I not let things play out the way they did, you and Aomine would have gone to the same school. Kise probably would have followed. Midorima would have attended the same school as me. Murasakibara would probably do the same. We couldn’t still be a team and fight against each other.”

“Was it worth it?” Kuroko asked.

“I would do it again if I could go back in time. I’d make sure I won our game if I could go back though.” Akashi confirmed. He smirked a little. “Are you regretting your feelings for me yet?”

“I already knew who you were when I developed these feelings for you, and the only new information you have given me is that if disowned you would apparently try to take your father’s business by force.”

Kuroko had realized he was in love with Akashi in middle school. He’d never said anything because he figured that Akashi knew. It turned out he was right.

“In that case, is the offer to stay in your home still open? Because I don’t want to stay in this place any longer than strictly necessary.” Akashi asked, halfheartedly picking up a fry, but it seemed he was more interested in observing it than eating it.

“Of course it is.”

“Great. I’ll call my driver.” Akashi pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text message. Kuroko did the same to let his parents know that Akashi would be staying with them.

Ten minutes later, Akashi’s driver was pulling up outside of Maji Burger and Kuroko was sliding into his seat. As soon as the door was closed Akashi was on top of him, shoving his tongue down Kuroko’s throat. The window between the drivers side and the back seat was up, so they couldn’t be seen or heard.

“A-Akashi-kun!” Kuroko gasped, pushing Akashi’s chest to get him to separate their mouths.

“It was against the rules before. Being with a boy. A boy who isn’t even connected to anyone important no less.” Akashi told him, caressing Kuroko’s cheek. “But I’ve already broken the biggest rule of not losing. Break another rule with me. I’ve been waiting years for this.” Akashi told him before leaning in for another kiss, running a hand up under Kuroko’s shirt.

“No.” Kuroko said firmly.

Akashi frowned at him, but did pull back. “Why not? You love me. You want this as much as I do.”

“I want it for different reasons. You’re upset right now, and want to spite your father. I’m not taking advantage of you by doing this while you’re in this kind of state.” Kuroko said, sitting up and smoothing out his clothes.

“You’re not taking advantage of me. I’m the one who kissed you.” Akashi pointed out, frown deepening.

“If you want to think about it that way, then I’m not letting you take advantage of my feelings just to spite your father. If, after a few days, you’re still interested, we can go on a date. _But_ ,” Kuroko gave Akashi a look cold enough to rival ice. _“I will_ not _be your pawn to throw away again._ If that is part of your plan, because I know you have one, you always do, then I want you to leave me alone. I love you, but I will not be treated like that by you again.”

Akashi nodded his understanding. He wasn’t sure he could throw Kuroko away again. The invisible boy was far too fascinating. He was one of the few people that could always surprise Akashi. He was far too interested in finding out what the next surprise was to get rid of him. At least not in the near future.

  
As Akashi laid awake in Kuroko’s guest bed later that night he contemplated that they would probably crash and burn eventually. But dear God would it be a beautiful drive before the flames consumed them. He wondered if Kuroko could already feel their heat like he could.


End file.
